The present disclosure relates to grapples, and, in particular, to grapples with magnetic properties.
Numerous grapples are known in the prior art. Such devices are used for gathering and moving material, often of irregular shape. For example, grapples may be used to gather scrap metal into a pile and then transport it to another location, such as for further processing. Examples of various grapples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 762,759; 1,590,020; and 2,850,189.
Grapples of this sort often include a plurality of tines that may be moved to open the grapple. The open grapple may then be placed on top of the material to be gathered and the tines closed about the material so as to contain it. The grapple can then be moved to another location where the tines are opened to release the materials.
As the materials to be lifted and moved by the grapple are often of irregular size and shape and because the tines of the grapple, even when closed, do not form a complete enclosure, material that is initially gathered into the grapple sometimes falls out during transport. This may result in the deposit of material where it is not desired. This increases the amount of work to be performed, as the material that has fallen from the grapple must be gathered at a later point.
Accordingly, an illustrative embodiment of a grapple is provided. The grapple comprises a body and a tine. The tine comprises first and second ends and a plurality of arms located at the first end. The arms are separated by a pair of outer slots and at least one inner slot. The inner slot extends further into the tine relative to the pair of outer slots and the tine pivotally attached to the body. Other illustrative embodiments of the grapple include a magnetic coil wound about a portion of the tine. Another illustrative embodiment includes a first pair of tines each attached to the body such that the second end of each of the tines opposes one another. A second pair of tines may also be provided. Each of these tines is attached to the body such that the second end of each opposes one another. In addition, the second pair of tines may be positioned perpendicular relative to the first pair of tines.
Additional features and advantages of the grapple will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following descriptions.